Lickypops Sugar Emporium (Part One)

The tiny village of Little Popton lies at the bottom of a green and luscious valley surrounded by the hugest forest and the grandest trees you have ever seen. There is a magnificent river which weaves its way through the valley floor and cuts through the middle of the village. A sturdy, but wonderfully carved wooden bridge crosses the river in the middle of the village, linking both sides.

There is something special about Little Popton. It’s almost as if the village is just a little bit magical! The sky is just that little bit bluer, the grass is just that little bit greener, the sun shines just that little bit brighter and the river is just that little bit clearer. The people of Little Popton are also extraordinary and one man in particular. Once you meet Solomon Tump you will never, ever forget him!

Solomon is rather strange looking! A somewhat short, plump fellow, he is almost as round as he is tall! He has a large moon face with humungous bushy eyebrows, kindly clear blue eyes and rosy red cheeks. He wears half-moon spectacles which perch on the end of his bulbous nose and they always look in danger of falling off! His slightly mad looking, fluffy white hair sticks out at all angles and he even has tufts of it growing out of his ears!

Solomon Tump always dresses in the same elegant clothes for work. He wears shiny polished black shoes, a crisp, carefully ironed white shirt and bright, mustard yellow trousers with a matching waistcoat and brilliant red bowtie. In fact he looks like a big, glowing sun! Solomon also wares his grandfathers old pocket watch hanging from a silver chain on his waistcoat.

However, the one thing that you will never forget about Solomon is that he loves to make other people happy, especially children. His cheerfulness is completely infectious and his eyes crinkle at the sides when he breaks in to one of his big, cheesy smiles. His eyes also twinkle like stars when he lets out a big booming belly laugh (which he does quite often, by the way), because Solomon Tump is a very, very happy chap.

The other important thing to know about lovable Solomon is that he owns Lickypops Sugar Emporium, the village of Little Popton’s one and only sweet shop.